Chapter 1
"This is kind of exciting," said Meredith. She was standing out on the roof with Derek, Mark, Lexie, Cristina, the Chief and Addison. Yes Addison was back in Seattle temporarily to help with a major surgery.
"We've had visiting surgeons before," said Derek.
"But this one knows you," she said. "You said you knew her when you were in college."
"I did," smiled Derek. "She is a very old friend. I'm glad you'll get to meet her."
"Me too," smiled Meredith. "But uh...earlier Mark went a little funny when I brought the subject up."
"Ah yeah Abby and Mark have an...lets say interesting history," said Derek.
"And what does that mean? He slept with her didn't he?"
"Yes," said Derek.
"Has he told Lexie that his ex is coming into town?"
"Half the hospital has slept with Mark," said Derek. "But she doesn't need to worry about Abby, trust me what you see with her is what you get."
"Here comes the chopper," said Meredith as the helicopter came into view.
"Is that her?" Meredith whispered to Derek ten minutes later. The helicopter had just landed and turned off it's engine. People had started to walk out onto the roof, they looked to be interns they had been told that Dr. Hart was flying in from a medical trial in Prague and so still had interns on board. A woman who looked to be in her early thirties stepped off the helicopter, she had short dark hair and large dark sunglasses on, she was reading a file as she walked.
"That's Abby," said Derek.
"Dr. Hart," said Richard stepping forward.
"Saluto," said Abby barely glancing up. She took the chart that Lexie was holding out to her. "Mi chiamo Abby Hart."
"You are in America Abby," said Derek smiling at the woman in front of him who had clearly not changed at all. Abby was brilliant at what she did, she was handpicked right out of med school and into one of the best cardiothoracic departments in New York, but she was a scatterbrain most of the time. She had the weird habit of staying up for literally days at a time and not slowing down at all until she crashed, she could focus one hundred and five percent on whatever surgery she was doing at the time while being oblivious to what was going on around her, the OR could be on fire and she wouldn't even glance up.
"Shep?" asked Abby only just realizing that she recognized a few people in the crowd of doctors.
"It's nice to see you again," said Derek leaning forward and kissing her cheek politely.
"It's great to see you, god...it's been like four years, I got your emails," she said.
"Well you replied so I figured you got them," said Derek.
"I'm in New York," said Abby then she turned to one of the interns of her left. "I want to shop while I'm here, schedule that in and call my mother and tell her I'm in Orlando."
"Right away," said the eager young intern.
"This isn't New York," said Richard. "Seattle Grace, I'm Richard Webber we talked on the phone."
"Um...no sorry I don't remember," said Abby. "You probably talked to someone else, I have long since lost control of my schedule and where I end up. But I'm here and I have read the chart and...what are all these people doing standing out here in the cold, it's freezing."
"This is the team you will be working with," said Richard.
"And we couldn't meet inside?" said Abby.
"Uh of course," said Richard,
"Okay," said Abby then she turned back to her interns. "You are all dismissed, amazing work these past few weeks but go home to your families. The chopper will take you back to the airport."
"Uh...okay everyone inside and we'll meet in the conference room in..."
"Twenty minutes works for me," said Abby. "I need coffee and these shades are not vanity, I have been flying for what feels like years."
"Alright the conference room in twenty minutes," said Richard.
"Fine," said Abby heading for the door.
"When was the last time you slept?" Mark called after her.
"London," she called over her shoulder.
"You might have to push the surgery," said Addison to Richard quietly.
"I wish you would just make up your damn mind!" snapped Abby. She was standing outside the conference room. She had changed clothes, freshened up and had gotten a very large cup of coffee. Derek approached her, she was on her cell phone and she didn't look happy. "Oh you know what? I am done arguing about this today, we're just going to start over tomorrow! Bye!"
"Everything alright?" Derek asked.
"Hmmm," she said glancing around. "I can't believe you didn't call me to tell me I was coming to see you."
"I was going to but it was all last minute," said Derek. "Addison only arrived a few hours ago.'
"So she is actually here I thought I was hallucinating," said Abby. "It was a long flight."
"No you weren't hallucinating," Derek laughed.
"Look I'm not sure if I'm caught up with you, I read all your emails but you know what my memory is like," said Abby. "She did the nasty with Sloan, you hooked up with a lusty intern there was some stuff in between but you guys got divorced, and now the lusty intern is your special someone."
"Pretty much," said Derek. "So...Mark?"
"What about him?" asked Abby casually.
"Have the two of you talked since you left New York?"
"No," said Abby. "But we left things good."
"Uh huh," said Derek knowing exactly how Mark reacted when Abby had moved out of their apartment and left New York.
"We did," she smiled. "So your lusty intern? Where is she?"
"You have to stop calling her that," said Derek.
"Lusty resident," said Abby.
"Or Meredith," said Derek.
"What?" said Meredith she was standing a few feet away with Cristina.
"He won't let me call you a lusty resident," she pouted. "It's very flattering actually...he says the nicest things about you...a little pukey though."
"Um...thank you," said Meredith. "I'm Meredith Grey first year resident."
"Nice to meet you," said Abby shaking her hand. "I'm Abby Hart, Cardio. If you need any dirt on Shep, I have a few incriminating pictures."
"I would like to see that," smiled Meredith.
"Oh I have lots," Abby smiled. "Shep before he discovered product, when he got so drunk he passed out and I dressed him up as a fairy princess...oh and when he streaked..."
"The meeting is starting," said Derek all but shoving Abby into the conference room.
"Ow," said Abby. "You know my arm is kind of attached to me."
"Well it would be quite an accomplishment if you could detach from it," said Derek.
"I wasn't going to tell her all your secrets," said Abby.
"Well I think you could leave out the streaking story," said Derek.
"That is a great story," said Abby. "If I wanted to tell an embarrassing story I would have..."
"We are not playing this game."
"Spoilsport," Abby pouted. "You never used to be such a grump."
"We are grown ups now," said Derek. "We save lives."
"Maybe you are," Abby snorted. "I say you are young as whoever you are..."
"I get it," said Derek. "Could you at least pretend to be a grown while we decide how to save this woman and her babies."
"Fine," said Abby. "Lets do it."
They all took their seats at the table, opened the patient's chart and started the meeting.